Lots of thoughtful replies on here, I guess I'd add this as someone who's been doing this awhile and spent way too much money, lol.
So: are you sure you want to buy into a "system camera" right now? If you do that, and start getting lenses for it, and then find you don't want that system you've already got a lot tied up in a system.
Even though I want quality photography, I've found I can be very happy carrying around a little Panasonic DMC-LX7. It has a great lens (occasional flare issues aside), and tons of manual controls for those times you want to do something special. A number of us are shooting it on this board to great effect in a wide variety of subject matter. If you click my blog below you'll find a review of it down my blog (not the top entry) one step. Quite frankly I'm amazed at this camera. It can be had with patient shopping for less then $300 USD brand new.
If you are dead set on getting an interchangeable lens system camera, that's fine. But do keep in mind that changing to a different system later if you find out the system you purchase doesn't suit you is painful sometimes both financially and time-wise. I've done this in the past, lol. I myself will be sticking with micro four thirds but then I've got now a large investment in micro four thirds after changing over form Nikon DSLR's.
Don't sell the better "enthusiast compacts" short. Here's a set of photos of many different types of photography that I did with the LX7.
Flickr: Search Entropic Remnants' photostream
Some of those photos get their impact from post processing as well -- but the point is that the camera can get you images that can be processed into something serious.
Best of luck whatever you decide. Personally, when it comes to compact systems I'd stick with micro four thirds as I think the lens choices are better and you can always buy an upgrade body later for any lenses you get now. But that was my choice and others have made different choices and made fantastic photos -- which is really the point after all, lol.